While speaking with newsmen in Abuja on Monday, governor Bago said he only stopped bulk purchases of food from local markets to neighbouring countries, adding that food items purchased in the state markets were not stopped from being taken to other states.

He highlighted the challenges faced by local farmers, including exploitation by middlemen and smugglers who divert agricultural produce to international markets, insisting that the decision was to regulate the level of sales, and stressed the importance of protecting local industries and ensuring fair market prices for farmers.